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CFN: 100 Best - No. 25 Bo Jackson

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Updated May 22, 2002 5:11 PM ET
     
 
Some were amazing players, some revolutionized their positions, some were legends, and some we just think were truly great. Yes, there was a bias towards players who played in the bigger conferences and against the biggest teams, but we also give a nod to the best who weren't in the spotlight as well. You can consider this the list of the college football careers as we give high marks to the legends.

How do you possibly pick an offensive lineman over a quarterback? It's tough, but our friends at the CollegeFootballNews.com we tried to make the call in regards to how good of a player they were without necessarily giving more credit to one position over another. Think of it this way, if you could take one running back, who would you take? You couldn't go wrong with Walker, Dorsett, Williams, Simpson, Dayne or about 20 other backs. Now if you had to pick one center, who would you go with? There are very few who stand out.

No. 25: Bo Jackson, RB - Auburn 1982-1985

Breathtaking. From his power to his athleticism to his blinding speed, Bo Jackson remains one of the great college football backs of all-time ... when he was healthy. While everyone remembers his phenomenal performances in his Heisman Trophy winning season of 1985 and his winning efforts against Alabama, when splitting hairs in naming the greatest players of all-time, especially running backs, we had to view his whole career and injuries did play a big part. We're not suggesting by any stretch that Jackson wasn't tough. On the contrary, Jackson played through injuries that that would've knocked out most mortal running backs. He only played six games in his junior season and was limited in two of Auburn's biggest games in 1985 cause of injuries suffering a bruised thigh in the second quarter against Florida in a 14-10 loss and a knee injury taking him out in the third quarter in a 38-20 loss to Tennessee. It might be harsh, but to get much higher than this in our countdown as a running back, you needed to have big performances in big games like these. The athlete: Jackson's frightening athletic ability made him an all-everything performer in track and baseball qualifying for the NCAA's in the 60-yard dash in his freshman and sophomore years and batting .401 with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs in 1985 on the diamond. Jackson was drafted in the second round by the New York Yankees coming out of high school, but he chose to play football at Auburn instead. For his Auburn baseball career, Jackson had a .335 average with 28 home runs, 70 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 89 games. Running track, he ran a 10.39 in the 100 meters and 6.19 in the 60-yard dash. That speed made him one of the fastest backs to ever play college football and at 6-1, 222 pounds, he was the total athlete. Alabama: The Tigers were whipped by Alabama for years before Jackson came to Auburn. In his freshman year, Jackson scored the winning touchdown in a 23-22 thriller over the Tide to give Auburn its first win over Bama in ten years. He tore off 256 yards against the Tide in his sophomore year leading Auburn to a 23-20 victory with breathtaking runs of 69 and 71 yards. In a 17-15 loss to the Tide in his junior season, he ran for 118 yards and a touchdown. In 1985, Jackson closed out his regular season career with a 31 carry, 142 yard, two touchdown day over the Tide in a 25-23 loss. Bo knows: Taken with the first pick in the NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jackson spurned football temporarily for an All-Star baseball career with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and California Angels. For his eight year career, he hit .250 with 141 home runs and 415 RBIs. He also played a little football or as Bo called it, his hobby. With the Los Angeles Raiders, he averaged 5.4 yards per carry before being forced to retire from football with a hip injury. When the spotlight was on, few professional performers produced like Jackson. In the 1989 All-Star game, he was the MVP after jacking a huge home run leading off for the American League. On his first Monday Night Football game, he ran for 221 yards against Seattle including his famous touchdown run blowing by, and later scoring by blowing through, Brian Bosworth. Honors: College Football Hall of Fame, Heisman Trophy - 1985, Walter Camp Player of the Year - 1985, All-American - 1983 & 1985, All-SEC - 1983, 1985 (UPI and AP All-SEC in 1982), Named to the Auburn Team of the Century, Baseball All-Star Game MVP - 1989, NFL Pro Bowl selection - 1990, Liberty Bowl MVP - 1984, Sugar Bowl MVP - 1983.

    • Tagged: California, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Kansas

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